Baseball

Clippers for a Cause

The DU Baseball team shaved their heads to raise money for cancer research.

Nov 10, 2012

Roughly two months ago, the Denison baseball coaching staff sat down to brain storm ideas for a community service project that would benefit not only the Denison community, but also impact people on a larger scale. That meeting sparked an idea that led to Saturday's inspirational event.

"We were looking to do a community service project where we could make an impact," said Denison Head Baseball Coach Mike Deegan. "Coach (Ryne) Romick had heard about the St. Baldrick's program, and after Coach (Sean) West made some calls, we felt like it was a win-win situation. We felt our guys could get a lot out of this, and we could also raise money for an unbelievable cause."

St. Baldrick's is a volunteer-driven charity that funds more childhood cancer research grants than any organization except the U.S. government. The "Basebald" initiative is a fundraising event to raise money for childhood cancer research through the St. Baldrick's Foundation.

"When Coach Deegan told us that we would be raising money for childhood cancer everybody was really excited," said sophomore pitcher Ian Barry. "It's a great cause for a disease that affects so many people worldwide. Everyone tried really hard to raise as much money as we could for such a great cause."

That hard work paid off as the program collected over $9,200, eclipsing the initial goal of $5,000. Barry expressed his satisfaction in reaching the team's goal.

"It's an awesome feeling to know that 30 guys have come together to accomplish our goal."

Although the money is very important to the foundation, there are other ideals that the DU Baseball program and Denison community have learned from Saturday's event.

"It makes you feel good to know that you are doing something for children that are suffering from horrible diseases," said junior infielder Andrew Touhy. "An event like this makes you realize that things aren't really that bad, especially when you see what these kids are dealing with every day."

Many of the Denison student-athletes shaved their heads to stand in solidarity with children across the nation. In addition, the baseball program received tons of support from Denison University as a whole.

"This University is excited to see people reach out and try to do great things," said Deegan. "Everyone seems to be excited about what we are trying to do, and it's just a tribute to Denison and what we are all about when it comes to trying to make a difference in people's lives. In our small way of trying to make a difference, I think the people at Denison have appreciated it."